


You think I'm stupid but the truth is that it's cupid

by TheDixcesters



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternative ending to S3E15, Carol's POV, Fluff, Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 06:17:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/909888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDixcesters/pseuds/TheDixcesters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How a heavy weight got lift off of Carol's heart and shoulders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You think I'm stupid but the truth is that it's cupid

**Author's Note:**

> Hugely inspired by this  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnQ4nz_5JSY
> 
> and this  
> http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/189369Capturede769cran20130104a768015937.png

Helplessness. Anger. Resignation. Fear. Distrust.

Concern.

From all the things she was currently feeling, it was concern that seemed to be the most striking emotion.

She was feeling concerned all the time.

About the group that had become her new family; about the prison that had become their new home.

But mostly about him. About Daryl.

She cared for him, loved him even like he was one of her own. Like he was something that had been taken away from her when Sophia died and her heart had been ripped straight out of her chest.

She knew that what they had was by far more than something sexual or romantic. It was something bigger, something deeper, something more important.

It was protection and understanding. A feeling of safety and equality.

They both looked out for each other and they both shared more aspects of their lives than any of them wanted to.

But they did and so she knew. 

She knew what he meant to him. 

She knew that he was a threat.

Since Merle had become a member of their group, the concern she was feeling had her restless.

She long had stopped counting the times when she watched Daryl and him from afar.

Carefully examining the way Merle talked to him and how Daryl's expressions changed. Muscles tensing, ready to throw herself between them at any sign of distress from Daryl's side.

Narrowing her eyes when she saw him coming too close to Daryl, whispering in his ear with a meaningful look on his face.

Biting her lips when she noticed him touching Daryl, laying his hand on Daryl's shoulder, a smug smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

Carol knew that he was corrupting him, depraving him. He was trying to get Daryl back on his side, just like he had been before.

Carol wasn't even sure if Daryl had ever left his side. 

She knew men like Merle. Almost all of her life had been wasted for a man like Merle. She wanted nothing more than for Daryl to not have to end up in the same place that she had been.

He was too good for that, too precious, too worthy.  
But she also knew how difficult that could be.

Merle still held an unabated power over Daryl. He was his brother, his blood, and in a twisted way, his savior. He had been the only one to be there for Daryl as a kid and therefore the only reason why he was still alive.

Carol didn't doubt that Merle had not gotten tired of holding this before Daryl, making him feel guilty and thankful for even the smallest of favors, no matter how bad Merle was treating him in between them.

Her husband had done the same to her. He had made her believe that she needed him to live, that she couldn't achieve anything on her own and that she would have long ended up dead if it wasn't for him.

Daryl, just like herself, didn't deserve this. He was made to be a leader, made to make his own decisions and go his own way and Carol would do anything for Daryl so he could have exactly that, and if it would be the last thing she'd do.

Even after the conversation that she had with Merle in the main hall, that had lighted a small spark of hope inside her heart, she was still very aware of how easily Merle could harm Daryl. 

Carol knew that Merle wouldn't think that he'd harm him. Merle, despite all, loved his baby brother. But she knew that the things that Merle thought would be the best for Daryl, and most importantly for himself, could break Daryl in the end.

And after Merle's actions today, kidnapping Michonne and almost getting her and himself killed, she only felt more confirmed in her assumptions.

Merle would have no problem in risking everyone's lives. He was uncontrollable and dangerous.

Now don't get her wrong. Carol didn't think that Daryl was too stupid or weak to defend himself - quite the contrary- but she did think it wouldn't harm anybody if she had a little talk with Merle herself.  
Just to draw the battle lines. Just to give him an idea of what a mother could do if she saw her child in danger.

Carol had this excact intention in mind when she walked down the hallway that led to Merle's cell. Tablet with a simple meal in hand, thinking over the things she wanted to say to him to make him realize just who exactly he was dealing with. She had enough of that alpha male-bullshit.

When she turned around the last corner to the cell though, all Carol could do was stand there, motionless and speechless. She had prepared herself for much, but surely not for this.

Merle was half laying, half sitting on his cot, nonchalantly leaning his back against the gray stone wall of his room. Daryl was laying down on his back, resting his head on his brother's lap, arms covering Merle's splayed out legs at his sides.

The elder had his head tipped back and his eyes, that never left the face of his younger brother, half lidded as he moved his good left hand over Daryl's pliant body.

He threaded his fingers through Daryl's hair, putting the dark brown strands between his fingers and pulling lightly on them before letting his fingertips slide over the long hairs, almost apologetically, over and over again.

After a time, his fingers started to thread deeper and deeper into Daryl's hair until Merle's fingertips reached his brother's scalp, carefully pressing down on the skin and moving them in a slow circular motion.

Meanwhile, Daryl's eyes were closed, his face slack, his body relaxed.  
His breathing pattern had accommodated to the steady rhythm of his big brother's ministrations, chest heaving in deep, calm breaths.

It could have looked like he was sleeping if it hadn't been for the fact that he was moving his own hands. His left hand was gently stroking over Merle's left leg, up and down, from his thigh to his calves and up again, rubbing and warming his palm against the coarse material of Merle's pants while his right hand was resting on the older man's metal prosthesis.

Repeatedly, Daryl let his fingers glide over the edge where cold, hard metal changed into warm, soft flesh. Fascinated, as if he couldn't believe something so inhuman could be a part of his brother, Daryl softly caressed the reddish, sensitive skin around the device, circled the dull rim with his fingertips, let his fingernails scrape over the metal experimentally. Sometimes, he would even try to cautiously push his pinky alongside Merle's arm into the tube but stop immediately when he felt the muscles and skin twitching in discomfort.

Merle let it all happen. 

Carol had never seen such a huge act of trust. Could have never imagined something like this coming from Merle and the initial shock of seeing him and Daryl together like this had long vanished. Instead, something entirely different started to bubble up in her chest and she had to clutch at the tablet she was holding for an entirely different reason now.

 

For a short moment, she had to look down. The emotions that were rising up in her threatened to choke her up and she blinked several times in order to chase away the wetness in her eyes.

When she looked up again, she noticed that they had started talking to each other, almost whispering and Carol had to concentrate to get everything they were saying.

“Did it for you, ya know.” Merle petted Daryl's head with the palm of his hand while breathing the words with his raspy voice. “Did it all for you, baby brother.”

The hands on Merle's leg and his arm came to a rest and Daryl opened his eyes, rolling them so he could look his brother in the face.

“I know...” Daryl needed to clear his throat as if he had not been speaking for quite a while now.  
“I know that you did.” He swallowed.

“Needed to have you save. Had to protect my baby brother, am I right?” The hand that had been petting the younger one's head moved further down until it was covering Daryl's left cheek and jar, Merle's thumb moving up in down in a soothing motion over the stubbles that it found there.

“I was just so scared Merle. I just got you back and then... you were just...gone.” Carol knew she wasn't imagining things when she saw Daryl's lip quivering. “When I tried to find you... when I ran after you, I thought...I thought you were...” Daryl's breathy voice began to crack, suppressed emotions breaking their way through. The fear of losing his beloved brother proving to be too much.

“Sshh... I know baby brother, I know.” Merle's thumb wandered over to the corner of Daryl's eye where a single tear was on its way of rolling down, collected it and gently rubbed it away. “I got you now. It's over. I'm here.”

Pulling Daryl further up into his embrace so his little brother's head was lying on his chest, Merle put both his arms around him, being extra careful with his artificial arm even if it was missing the knife and started to lightly rock for and backwards, swaying him and Daryl in a soothing rhythm before stroking strands of hair out of the younger one's face, bending forwards and pressing a light kiss to Daryl's forehead

“I love you baby brother.” Merle whispered against Daryl's skin, his breath and lips ghosting over it.

When Carol turned around in that moment, sneaked back around the corner and through the hallway where she came from, she was light as a feather and concern was far from her mind.

He was with his brother now. Reunited. In which ways, she didn't entirely want to and maybe shouldn't imagine, but the one important thing was that Daryl had finally found someone who he loved and someone who loved him. Deeply so.

He had got his brother back.

**Author's Note:**

> Solo Project by Louisa


End file.
